Warning system for gas or oil.



3. l. CURTIS. WARNING SYSTEM FOR GAS 0B 03|..

APPLICATION FILED MMIII, i918.

Patented Deo. 30,1919.

*multiusos UniTED STATES ,PATENT OFFICE.

r:rnssii r. cuniIs, or siinm, oHIo. 'ns's'IciNn or oNE-THIBD To FnANcIs LYNN MecLUn-s No ONE-THIRD To FRANKLIN 'rnrrfr Ln Fiwna, BOTH or sEBnI'NG,

OHIO.

WARNING sYsrEiu ronces on oIL.

Specieation of Letteriilatient. Patented. Dec. 30, 1919...

Ailpplicaticm tiled January 3X, 1918. Serial No. 214,666.

6 State of Ohio, have inventada new and useful lVaI-nihg System for Gils or Oil, of which the following is a specification.

Y The device voi'min the subject mattei' of this Aapplication isab apted to be employed for giving a signal, either vis'ible4 or audible when the liquid in a tank has been depleted y '.to a predetermined amount, the structure vbeing of peculiar utility-when usedv in Aconnection with the fuel tank of an lautomobile,

although A.the invention is not confined to this specific' use.

vThe invention aims to provide asimple but ellcient means 'whereby a circuit may be closed, to actuate a signal, when the liquid 'in a tank has been depleted to a fixed extent.

It is within the .province of thefdisclosure to improve generally to enhance the utility of devicesof that type to which' the 'present invention ap ertains.,

With the above an other objects Vin view.

' which will appear as the .description proceeds, the invention iesides in the combination and arrangement of parts-and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood. that' changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within i the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings: Fgure 1 shows in verticallongitudinal section, a device constructed in accordance with thepresent invention 3 parts'a peering in elevation, and the circuit being ingrainmatically shown;

Fi 2 is an' elevation showing a casing in whic i the electric lamps may be housed;

Fig. 3 is a detail enlarged from Fig. 1 and showing the bridging .member and the part 46 whereon the bridging member is carried;

F ig. 4: is a fragine'ntal elevation 'showing a modification in the mechanism which carries the Hoat.

The numerall marks atankhaving al top pnvided With a closure 3 which may be ythreaded at` 4 into the top, the closure includiiig'an upstanding tubular neck 5 upon which a cap 6 'may be threaded as shown at 7, the cap serving to house Vcertain of the working parts 'of the 'structu re. Ar barrel 8,

made of insulating material, is seated in the neck 5, Contact termin s 9 are mounted on the uppenend of the b i'rel `3 and include extensions 10 prolonged ownwardly into the barrel. Insulating bus ings 11 are' cartend into the barrel 8 to hold the' latter in the neck 5.' Binding posts 12 are threaded intothe bushings 11 and enga e the extensions 10.0f the contact terminals 9. 'Clamp nuts 14 are mounted on the outer ends of the binding posts 1Q and rpngage the ends of a. conductor 15. In the circuit which includes the conductor 15, are inter osed signuls of any desired kind. 4 If pre erred, one signaljnlay be in the forni of an electric lamp; 16 mounted within a receptacle I7 having a glass front 18 pro'vicled with an in scription 19. The receptacle 17 may he mounted upon an accessible portion of an automobile and t ye inscription 19 ma Y be changed, dependingnpon the nature o the liquid which is 'c ontainedin the tank 1., An audible signahsucli as a bell 20, may be inlterposed intli'e conductor 15, and). the' nu f meral 21 denotes a battery or other suitable source of electrical energy interposed in the circuit of which the conductor 15 forms a part. A guide t`ube 24 extends downwardly into the tank 1 andupwardly through the closure 3, the guide tulJe being secured in the barrel '8. `Between the upper end of the guide tube 24 and the top of the barrel, there exists a chamber 25, the use of which will be alluded to hereinafter.` The lower end fried by the neck 5 of the closure 3 and exof the' guide tube 24. is housed, in a casing` 26 assembled .with theclosure 3`and located within the tank 1. The casing 26 preferably is closed at its bottoni, as shown at 27, the function of the casing Qbeing to prevent the liquid in the tank ll from disturbingthe Hout 31 (hereinafter described) when the 'liquid sluslies about in the tank l. In order that the liquid in the 4tank may find access to the float 34, the casing 26 is r0- vided adjacent its lower end with openings 28. Openings 29 are formed in the casing 26 adjacent the upper end thereof to permit the egress of air from the casing. The guide tube 24 may be provided, near to the closure 3, with `openings 30, to permit the egress of air from the guide tube.

The invention comprises a plunger, de-

t r noted generally by the numeral 31,v and coning the front 18 of thev receptacle 17 and i structed as desired. In the present instance, rendering the inscription 19 visible. The

Athe rod 32 and operates in the casing 26.

but not necessarily, the plunger is a como'perator thus is advlsed b an audible'sigposite structure and includes a. rod '32 nal and b a visiblesigna that the liquid mounted to reciprocate in a bearing .33 carin'thetan 1 has been used. downlto a preried by the lower c 1d of the guide tube 24. determined amount. It is ,obvious that The float. 34 is attached to the lower end of either the lamp 16 or the signal 20 maybbe omitted, at the will ofan operator.

T he plunger 31 comprises a bar 35 united by It is not 'necessaryathat the plunger/ be a swivel connection 36 withthe upper end actuated lb thespeciiic float' construction of the rod 32, the bar being mounted to re-' shown in ig. 1. Thus, referring to Fig. ciprocate in the `guide tube. 24 and in the 4, the .numeral 45 marks a plunger, corretop of the barrel 8. It may now be stated spending to the part 35 and engaged at its that the chamber serves to collect' the lower end by one end of a lever 46 ul'crumed Huid which may-happen to be carried upon a support 48, and wardly through the guide tube 24 by the ac end with a float 47. tion of the plunger 31. A nut37 is threaded Having- .thus described the invention, what on the upper end of the bar and includes is claimedis:

a. reduced neck 38 having a detachable flange 39. The numeral 40 marks a bridge disk of tank; a barrel carried by 'the tank; contact provided at`- its other 1. In a device' of the class described, a A

conducting material and adapted' to engage terminals at the upper ,and f thehun-e1; ,ly

with the contact terminals 9, the-bridge disk signal circuit of which the terminals 'form having an upwardly bulged boss 41 loosely a part; a plunger mounted to reciprocate enga ed about the neck 38 of the nut 37 and in the barrel; a float in the 'tank and conheld y the lian 0,39. Since the bridge disk trolling' the operation of the', plunger; a. 40 thus is loose y miinted on the nut 37L brid e adapted to coperate with the terthe bridge disk will, of/a certainty,'oontact mina s; and means for mounting the bridge with bot-h of the terminals 9 when the plunon the plunger for swinging movement ger 31 moves downwardly. The nut 37 prefand flor adjustment longitudinally 'of the erably is held in place by a lock nut 42, Vplu r with respect'to t e terminals. threaded' upon the upper end of the bar 35. a device of the Vclass described, a A stop 43 is attached to the barrel Sand intanlr; va neck-carried by the tank; a barrel cludcs a laterally extended 'end 44 adapted mounted in the neck; bmdin means engagto coact with the nut 42 when the plunger the neck and the barre asignal cir- 31 rises under the action of the float 34. cuit of which the binding means constitutes In practical operation, 'a predetermined a' part; contact terminals at the u per end unntity of liquid is placed m the tank 1,. 0f barrel and engaged with t e bindt e float 34 rising under the action of 1i uid. ing means; a plunger Imounted to reciprotact with the terminals 9.

Theplunger 31 rises along 'withtheoat. cate in the barrel; a loa't in the tank and The nut 37 is moved downwardly along by operatively connected with the plunger; and Vthe bar 35 until the bridge disk 40 engages a brid carried by' the' both of the terminals 9 and closes the c1roperatlng with the termina cuitof which the conductor 15 constitutes i e a part. The nut 37 is then held in the posi tank; a barr'el carried by the tank; a guide tion to which it has been adusted, by maniptube. mounted vin the barrel and terminating ulating the, lock nut 42. y the procedure short of the to of the barrel to' form a above outlined, the structure is so set' that collecting cham r; a plunger mounted to it will give a signal when the liquid. in the reciprocate inthe guide tube; a float in tank V1 has been depleted to the predeterthe tank and operativelyconnected with mined quantity fixed upon experimentally. the lun i" contact terminals carried by When the tank 1 is filled with liquid, the the garr tbe upper end of the barrel inioat 34 rises, carrying with it the plunger closing the lunger closely to form a top 31, the nut 42 engaging the end '44 of the closure for the chamber, thereby preventing stop 43, the upward movement of the float liquid which accumulates in the chamber an theplunger being limited in this way, fromv reaching the terminals; a signal cirand the bridge disk 40 being held out of con cuit of which -the contact terminals constitute a part; and a bridge carried by the When the liquid in the tank 1 is drawn plunger and coacting with the terminals. 'away to a suiiicientextent so that the pre- 4. In a device of the class described, a determined quantity of liquid remains ''n tank;,a barrel carried by the tank; a ca t'he tank, then the float 34 and the plunger means for Aholding' the ca on the barre 31 move downwardly uritil the bridge disk contact terminals mounte in 'the barrel; 40 engages the terminals 9. Then the cira signal circuit of which the contact termicuit is closed,the signal 20 is sounded, and nels form a part; a plun r mounted to the lamp 16 is lighted, the lamp illuminatreciprocate in the barrel; a' oat inthe tank a. In a device of the elm described, s

isc

and. operatively connected with the plunger; e bridge carried bythe plun 'er and adapted to engage the termi'neiej' enl a stop lcarried end overhanglng the pluner to limit the upward movement thereo ,i the stop bein independent of' the cap and 'being locat therewithin. 5. Iii-'Pp4 ydevice of the class described, n tank; edepending cesing carried by thetop of thetnnk' and havin an nir vent dispoetl close to and beneath t e top of the tank; n uide tube carried by the tank and extended ownwardiy into the casing, the tube beinr spaced from the casing; a longer mountec to reciprocate in the guide tube; ev floatoperutively connected with the plunger and disposed within the casing; a barrel about the upper end of the guide tube; contact terminals carried by the barrel; a si al circuit of which the Contact terminals orm a part; and a. bridge mounted on the plunger swiveled to and adapted to coect with the contact terrIninals.

6. In a. 'device of the class described, e tank; n barrel carried by the tank; oontact terminals et the upper end of `the barrel; a signal circuit o which the terminals form a art; a iphmger mounted` to reciprocate in te barre g n oat in the tank und controlling the operation of the plunger; u nut threaded on the longer; and e bridge the nut w ereby the bridge will ycopemte with the terminals when the nut is rotated to adjust the bridge longitudinally of the plunger with respect to the .In testimony that I claim the foregoing as niyiown.l have heieto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.A

, JESSE T. CURTIS. Witnesses:

Jos. TELFoRo, MAGGIE Wilma.

terminals. 

